Teriyaki Chicken Lasagna with Broccoli
Tender chicken thigh and broccoli in a glossy homemade teriyaki sauce, layered with scallion ricotta, creamy white sauce and mozzarella. It's a sweet-savory, bubbly bake that feels like a Japanese-American comfort-food mash-up.
- Prep
- 45 min
- Cook
- 1 hr
- Wait
- 15 min
- Total
- 2 hr
- Makes
- 1 lasagna in a 9×13-inch pan (8 generous squares)
Steps
Before you start
- Shred the mozzarella from a block yourself if you can. Pre-shredded cheese melts less smoothly.
- Cut the chicken and broccoli before you start cooking, so the stovetop steps move quickly.
- Read the whole method first. The noodles, sauce and chicken overlap, and the lasagna needs 15 minutes to rest before cutting.
- Grease the baking dish lightly or have cooking spray ready.
Boil the noodlesOven 375°F / 190°C
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) with a rack in the middle.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat and stir in the 1 tablespoon salt.
- Add the 9 lasagna noodles and cook 2 minutes less than the package time, usually 7 to 8 minutes.
- Lift the noodles out with tongs (keep the water boiling for the broccoli) and lay them flat on an oiled baking sheet or a clean counter so they don't stick.
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Ready when: Noodles are flexible and bendable but still firm in the center, with a slightly chewy bite.
Tip: Slightly underdone noodles finish cooking in the oven. Fully cooked ones turn mushy.
Blanch the broccoli
- Drop the broccoli pieces into the same boiling water and cook for 90 seconds.
- Drain in a colander and rinse under cold running water for 20 seconds to stop the cooking.
- Shake well, then spread on a clean kitchen towel and pat dry.
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Ready when: Broccoli is bright green and just barely tender, with a firm bite.
Tip: Dry broccoli matters. Wet florets will water down the filling.
Simmer teriyaki sauce
- In a medium saucepan, combine the soy sauce, mirin, ½ cup (120 ml) water, brown sugar, garlic, ginger and rice vinegar.
- Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves, about 3 minutes.
- Stir the cornstarch into the 2 tablespoons cold water until smooth, then whisk it into the pan.
- Simmer 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the sesame oil.
- You should have about 1¼ cups (300 ml) of sauce.
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Ready when: Sauce is glossy and coats the back of a spoon; a finger drawn through it leaves a clear line.
Tip: Always mix cornstarch with cold water first. Added straight to hot liquid, it clumps.
Cook the chicken
- Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers.
- Add the chicken in a single layer (work in two batches if it crowds the pan) and cook without moving for 3 minutes until golden underneath.
- Stir and cook another 3 to 4 minutes.
- Pour in ¾ of the teriyaki sauce (about 1 cup / 235 ml; reserve the rest for later) and simmer 1 minute, stirring to coat.
- Take off the heat and fold in the broccoli.
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Ready when: Chicken is golden on the outside and reads at least 165°F (74°C) in the thickest piece, with no pink inside.
Tip: The filling will bake further, so don't worry if the sauce looks a little loose. It thickens in the oven.
Make the white sauce
- Wipe out the saucepan.
- Melt the butter over medium heat until foaming.
- Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute, whisking constantly, until it smells nutty but hasn't browned.
- Pour in the milk in a slow stream, whisking constantly, to keep it smooth.
- Add the salt.
- Bring to a gentle simmer and cook 4 to 5 minutes, stirring often.
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Ready when: Sauce coats the back of a spoon like heavy cream and a line drawn through it holds for a second.
Tip: Add the milk slowly at first. Dumping it in all at once can cause lumps.
Mix the ricotta filling
- In a medium bowl, stir together the ricotta, beaten egg, Parmesan, the 4 sliced scallions and the black pepper until evenly combined.
- The mixture should be thick and spreadable.
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Ready when: Mixture looks uniform with no streaks of egg.
Tip: The egg helps the ricotta set so the layers slice cleanly.
Build the bottom layers
- Lightly grease the 9×13-inch dish.
- Spread ¾ cup (180 ml) of the white sauce over the bottom.
- Lay down 3 noodles side by side, trimming or overlapping slightly to cover.
- Dollop half of the ricotta mixture over the noodles and spread it gently.
- Spoon over half of the chicken and broccoli mixture, then ¾ cup (180 ml) white sauce, and sprinkle with 1 cup (about 113 g) of mozzarella.
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Ready when: Each layer is even and reaches the corners of the dish.
Tip: Press the ricotta out with the back of a spoon. Don't drag it, or it will pull up the noodles.
Add the second layer
- Top with 3 more noodles.
- Spread the remaining ricotta mixture over them, then the remaining chicken and broccoli, then ¾ cup (180 ml) white sauce and another 1 cup (about 113 g) of mozzarella.
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Ready when: Layers are level so the lasagna bakes evenly.
Finish the top
- Lay the last 3 noodles on top.
- Spread over all the remaining white sauce (about ¾ cup / 180 ml), making sure the noodles are fully covered so the edges don't dry out.
- Drizzle with 3 tablespoons (45 ml) of the reserved teriyaki sauce and scatter over the remaining mozzarella.
- Save the rest of the teriyaki sauce for serving.
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Ready when: No noodle is left uncovered by sauce or cheese.
Tip: Set the pan on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any bubbling over.
Bake coveredOven 375°F / 190°C
- Cover the dish tightly with foil, tented slightly so it doesn't stick to the cheese (spray the foil with cooking spray, or just tent it).
- Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 30 minutes.
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Ready when: Edges are bubbling gently around the sides of the pan.
Bake uncoveredOven 375°F / 190°C
- Remove the foil and bake 15 minutes more at 375°F (190°C).
- If you want deeper browning on top, broil on high for 1 to 2 minutes, watching closely.
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Ready when: Cheese is melted and golden in spots, and the sauce bubbles around the edges. The center reaches 165°F (74°C).
Tip: Broilers vary widely, so don't walk away if you use it.
Rest and garnish
- Let the lasagna rest on a rack for 15 minutes so the layers set.
- Sprinkle with the sesame seeds and sliced scallion greens.
- Cut into 8 squares and serve, passing the remaining warm teriyaki sauce at the table.
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Ready when: Sauce stops flowing when you cut into it, and the squares hold their shape.
Tip: Cutting too soon makes the layers slide apart.
Good to know
Tips
- Cut the broccoli small. Large florets make the lasagna hard to slice and serve.
- Don't skip the 15-minute rest. It is what makes clean, tidy squares.
- Keep some extra warm teriyaki sauce for the table. It adds shine and flavor to each portion.
- For a little heat, add ½ teaspoon of chili flakes to the ricotta mixture or serve with a drizzle of sriracha.
Make ahead
"Assemble the lasagna through step 9, cover tightly and refrigerate up to 24 hours. Add 10 to 15 minutes to the covered baking time, since it starts cold. You can also make the teriyaki sauce up to 5 days ahead and keep it in the fridge."
Storage & reheating
"Room temperature: up to 2 hours after baking. Fridge: cover tightly and keep up to 4 days. Freezer: wrap individual squares well and freeze up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat covered with foil at 350°F (175°C) for 20 to 25 minutes, or microwave a single portion at 70% power for 2 to 3 minutes, until hot all the way through (165°F / 74°C)."
Substitutions
- boneless, skinless chicken thighs → boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Cut to the same size and cook just until 165°F (74°C) so they stay juicy. They dry out faster than thighs.
- mirin → dry sherry or dry white wine plus 1 teaspoon sugar. Gives a similar sweetness, though mirin has a more authentic flavor.
- soy sauce → tamari or low-sodium soy sauce. Tamari makes it gluten-free (also use gluten-free lasagna noodles and flour). Low-sodium is gentler if you're watching salt.
- whole-milk ricotta → small-curd cottage cheese, drained. Drain 10 minutes in a sieve so the filling isn't watery.